Category: Family Fun

Treasure Hunt 24/01/11

Hi, Donna,

I have two old school desks I acquired several years ago from a small New Hampshire elementary school that was undergoing renovations. They’re both for young children and two different sizes. Do you know if there is any value, demand or interest in these old desks?

Thank you for your help, Donna, I really appreciate it!

Susan in Nashua

Dear Susan,

Your two school desks are from the 1930s. Imagine how many fun stories they could tell. They were made to last and take lots of use. Today you can find many of them still around in the secondary market.

I think the value of desks like yours would be in having a new purpose for them. They look structurally good but would probably be refinished, painted etc. to fit in a new home.

Because school desks were made in mass amounts their values run around $20 each. Older ones bring more, but mostly if they have a new purpose within a home.

I hope this answers your question, Susan. I think all cleaned up they could be a great desk for a toddler at home.

Thanks for sharing.

Kiddie Pool 24/01/11

Family fun for whenever

Storytime at the museum

Local author Marti Fuerst is scheduled to visit the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org) on Saturday, Jan. 13, to read her book That’s Not a Hat!at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. for visitors in the museum’s morning play session, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon. There will also be a hat craft to take home, according to a press release. Admission costs $12.50, $10.50 for seniors, and is free for kids under 1 year of age, according to the website, where you can purchase advance admissions.

Also at the museum, every Thursday in January will feature cultural crafts related to the Chinese New Year, with crafts at 10:30 a.m. (for the morning play session, 9 a.m. to noon) and 2:30 p.m. for the afternoon play session (1 to 4 p.m.), the release said.

Learning the classics

The Rock and Roll Playhouse will present Music of Tom Petty For Kids on Sunday, Jan. 14, at noon at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com). Tickets cost $18.75. Find videos of The Rock and Roll Playhouse on their social media via therockandrollplayhouse.com, where the shows are described as giving the core audience of families, particularly those with kids ages 1 to 7, “games, movement, stories and most importantly an opportunity to rock out.”

Treasure Hunt 24/01/04

Dear Donna,

We have this very heavy block island. I am wondering what its value would be. We’re downsizing and won’t have space. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

Amy

Dear Amy,

Your butcher block appears to be in great condition for approximately 100 years old.

The value of older butcher blocks is in their condition, style and size. Prices can vary from a couple hundred dollars to in the thousands.

The market for them is a bit tough. Weight is an issue, as is space. I think when you find a market for yours, the price range should be around $350. I hope you find it a new home, Amy. Thanks for sharing with us.

Kiddie Pool 24/01/04

Family fun for whenever

STEM fun

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) will hold a “First Friday Play Late” on Friday, Jan. 5, from 4 to 7 p.m. Admission is the usual price — $12.50 for everybody over 12 months old, $10.50 for 65+ — and go online to reserve the spot. The Friday evening play period will run first Fridays through May 2024, the website said. The STEAM activities of Science Friday also continue into the new year, with scheduled activities at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., during the morning (9 a.m. to noon) and afternoon (1 to 4 p.m.) play sessions.

• The SEE Science Center’s (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) Free Storytime Science programming has moved to the Manchester City Library (405 Pine St. in Manchester; manchester.lib.nh.us). Kids ages 2 to 6 can join librarian Ms. Yvonne and the Center’s Ms. Becky for a storytime with STEM/STEAM themes and hands-on activities, according to the Center’s website. The next theme is Owl Moon on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 10 a.m. Register with the library.

Storytime

• Looking for an excuse to visit the bookstore with your kids? Barnes & Noble Manchester (1741 S. Willow St. in Manchester; 668-5557) holds its weekly storytimes Saturdays (including Saturday, Jan. 6) at 11 a.m. led by Ms. Elizabeth in the children’s department.

Nature

• Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org) has nature programs starting this week. “Natural Wonders Friday,” which will feature six classes 10 to 11 a.m. on Fridays, Jan. 5 through Feb. 9, is geared toward kids ages 1½ to 5 years old and their adults. The cost is $72 for a kid-adult pair (additional kids can be registered for 25 percent discount). Classes for homeschoolers will also start later in the month: A class for 1st through 6th graders will run for seven sessions Tuesdays, Jan. 23 through March 12, from 9 a.m. to noon, and a class for 7th through 9th graders will run for seven sessions Wednesdays, Jan. 24 through March 13, from 9 a.m. to noon. The classes cost $210 for the series.

Treasure Hunt 23/12/28

Dear Donna,

Found these 45 records and about 100 more. I think some were my parents’ and mine too. Can you tell me if there is any value to them? They are in pretty good condition for being in a basement. Thanks, Donna, for any help.

Carla

Dear Carla,

Yikes, you got your hands full of records.

45’s have been around since the late 1940’s. It’s tough to put a value on a pile of them. Certain ones can be worth so much more. It depends on the artist, condition and sleeves. So you need to consider each one individually.

You want them in a scratch-free condition and with the original sleeve to bring a higher value. If they are scratched, it makes it easier unless they’re rare. Lots of 45’s from the 1950s through the 1960s in original condition are in the range of $10 to a few hundred dollars.

Carla, I’m sorry to be so vague. I think you should bring them to a used record store to have them looked at. This is the best way to get a better value. I hope you have a hidden treasure in your records.

Thanks for another memory of myself listening to my favorite 45’s in the 1970s.

Kiddie Pool 23/12/28

Family fun for whenever

Everybody entertainment

• Catch the family-friendly magician Ben Pratt, whose show is described as “high energy and super fun,” at Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Pelham (150 Bridge St.; chunkys.com) on Thursday, Dec. 28, at 6:15 p.m.; at Chunky’s in Nashua (151 Coliseum Ave; chunkys.com) on Friday, Dec. 29, at 6:15 p.m. and at Chunky’s in Manchester (707 Huse Road; chunkys.com) on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 6:15 p.m. Admission costs $15.

• The Harlem Globetrotters 2024 will come to the SNHU Arena (555 Elm St., Manchester, 644-5000, snhuarena.com) with shows Thursday, Dec. 28, at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $44 through $134, with pre-game VIP options.

• The Swiftie Party at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Nashua; palacetheatre.org) is billed as an all-ages dance party event with space still available for the party at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30. Admission costs $25 for adults and $20 for 12 and under.

More museums

Here are some museums with special offerings and hours through the holiday week.

• At the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; nhahs.org, 669-4820) see the exhibit “Flying Home for the Holidays,” on display through Jan. 14. The museum is open daily through Saturday, Dec. 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as well as Sunday, Dec. 31, from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 for ages 13 and above, $5 for 65+, veterans/military and kids ages 6 to 12, and is free for ages 5 and under.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) has play sessions from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. daily through Saturday, Dec. 30. On Sunday, Dec. 31, a Family New Year’s Eve celebration takes place at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and will feature a “countdown to midnight” along with other activities. Buy admissions for a time slot online in advance; admission costs $12.50 for adults and children over 12 months, $10.50 for 65+.

• The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) will have December Days Thursday, Dec. 28, through Saturday, Dec. 30, with a lineup of family-friendly activities daily including a magic show on Friday, Dec. 29, at 2 p.m. (tickets cost $10 to $30, depending on age, and are available online); the museum will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (and until 8 p.m. on Dec. 28) during those days. The museum will also be open Sunday, Dec. 31, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission costs $20 for adults, $15 for ages 65+, $15 for students and $5 for ages 13 to 17 (children under 13 get in for free).

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